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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum
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Ask a Professional Detailer...
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08-14-2007, 08:15 PM | #199 |
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George,
Can you give me a list of what I need to wash/clay/wax/polish my car? Everything starting from buckets and towels to everything else. Also, how does poorboy compare to zaino(price,shine,ease of use, etc)? Would it take less time using a PC? I've only done things by hand in the past. Shoot me a PM if you want. I need to get a full setup. =) |
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08-15-2007, 12:45 AM | #200 |
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Lifespan of Microfiber
What would you guys say is a reasonable lifespan for good mf towels like the ones that Detailed Image or Autopia sells? My car is Black Sapphire and looks incredible now, and I don't want to compromise that by trying to stretch the life of my mf towels.
Is there a characteristic to look for that will tell when it's time to toss the towel in the garbage? Also, what's the proper technique for washing mf towels? Thanks!!
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E92 335i Coupe Delivered 5.30.07 | Black Sapphire | Black Dakota | Grey Poplar | OEM 230 19" Wheels | Michelin PS2s | GP Thunder 8500K Angels
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08-15-2007, 10:24 AM | #201 |
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MF vs. chamois for drying? With the cham I just need the one and can continually ring and reuse. How do the MF compare?
The other thing specific to cham, why do they fall apart and leave little bits and peices? I have one that I bought about July 4, have been washing E90 and my little pickup about once a week since then, and now all these little yellow bits left behind. I guess it's a good excuse to force me to use Z6 or Z8 after drying, but a few times on the truck I just drive off and the wind gets them off. |
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08-15-2007, 10:40 AM | #202 | |
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By the way, MF towels are all I use.
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08-15-2007, 10:51 AM | #203 | |||
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1) Spray & Wipe is an excellent choice for the clay lube, when using it as clay lube, I actually dilute it 1:1 with distilled water to maximize it's usage. It also works amazing for cleaning a light dusting along with an ultra plush microfiber towel. It has many other uses and is a very versatile product. 2) I'd consider the Menzerna line of polishes if you are using a random orbital. If not for the cutting polish, but definitely for the finishing polish. Consider either Menzerna Intensive Polish or Poorboy's SSR 2.5. SSR 2 doesn't have much more bite than a finishing polish and do not think it will be aggressive enough to tackle your imperfections. For pads, either an orange light cutting pad or a white polishing pad. You could have both on hand so you can start with the lesser aggressive white pad and switch to the orange pad if you want some more bite out of your polish. 3) This is where I really am going to suggest the Menzerna line, in the finishing polish. The best finishing polish Menzerna has to offer is PO106ff and often has enough bite to rid imperfections that you'd typically need a medium cutting polish to remove. You could try this w/o the more aggressive polish and see what your results are like so you only have to polish using 1 product. Another alternative would be Menzerna Final Polish II, which still finishes down finer than Poorboy's SSR 1 but not quite as fine as the PO106ff. For pads either a white polishing pad or a black finishing pad. The black being the less aggressive of the two, same idea as mentioned above. For maximum cutting, use the orange pad with the medium polish and the white pad with the finishing polish. For a less aggressive combination use the white polishing pad with the medium polish and the black pad with the finishing polish. The only combination I would not suggest is going from the orange light cutting pad to the black finishing pad as you may not remove all of the micro marring or haze. 4) Yes you are right in the cure time, I would recommend a blue fine finishing pad for applying FMJ with your orbital. 5) I've found that all of the Natty's waxes benefit from a second coat, spaced 12 - 48 hours apart. IMO Poorboy's Wheel Sealant is a better product than Wheel Wax. This month we have it on sale for $11.99 which makes it cheaper than Wheel Wax to boot. Quote:
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Initially, I start out the towels as being paint safe. The only thing that touches my paint are my premier towels to ensure you are not adding imperfections. After each wash of the towel I inspect them and decide if they are still paint safe or demote them to an interior towel. After they get grungy from interior cleaning, I demote them to door jambs and engine bay towels. From there I throw them out or use them around the house. Here's a well written article explaining microfiber and how to properly care for the towels. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask. George |
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08-15-2007, 11:23 AM | #204 | |
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Sheeting Technique: After you have rinsed off your vehicle for the final time, remove your spray nozzel. Flood the surface of the vehicle from the top down. The flooding creates a "sheeting" effect that will self dry the vehicle. What I do is start from the top of the vehicle and move left to right with the hose. On the way back, right to left, lower the hose to the point where the water is falling and proceed to "catch" the falling water from your initial pass. Continue this method until you reach the bottom of the car. Enjoy your vehicle with a majority of water self removed Regarding the fibers left on your paint. Many chamois are made from some natural fibers and it can decompose over time. Same thing goes for Sheepskin wash mitts, they tend to shed and decompose after so many uses. Hope this helps. George |
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08-15-2007, 12:21 PM | #205 |
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Hey,
i have a few simple questions. after wet sanding a small area to level off the paint. do i use polish or wax to remove the dullness and retain the shine? if so, what kind of sand paper do you recommend? thanks! |
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08-15-2007, 02:40 PM | #206 |
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George....order placed! Went with:
Fine Grade Clay Bar PB Spray & Wipe Menz FPII Menz Intensive Polish Menz FMJ PB Natty Blue wax White and Blue pads (already have some orange) I'll let ya know how it goes. Thanks for all your help! (and for the 10% discount as well) Great web site by the way.
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08-15-2007, 02:49 PM | #207 | ||
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As far as the sand paper, I usually use the 3M or Meguiars sand paper. You want to finish with the finest grade possible to make removing the marks. I usually end with 2500 grit or higher. Soak the paper in water for 24 hours before using it on your paint. Quote:
Check your PM box, I have a question for you. George |
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08-15-2007, 02:50 PM | #208 |
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I typically try the sheeting, then a quick jont up/back the driveway to motor off some of the excess. But with a typical Saturday morning often containing the E90, truck AND teh motorcycle, I'd need quite a few towels, where teh one cham does the whole lot. I almost always start with the E90, and am pretty good about the first thing in my bucket of suds is the cham.
But with a good wash/sheet, shouldn't the surface be pretty much free of contaminants to begin with? I've gotten pretty picky/picking about checking my (insert implement name here) for debris before putting it to paint. I have a separate black sock that is the only thing to touch black brakedust covered wheels, and the bit of paint in the wheel well. |
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08-15-2007, 02:52 PM | #209 |
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Bird poop stain
Hey ..
Any suggestion to get the weird mark off the clear coat from bird droppings? I must have had it a few days: A bird HAD to have flown in the garage and did it, (barn swallows here) and I didn't notice for a day or two. But, I washed it last weekend (HAND ONLY) and spray waxed it .. and nothing came off .. the droppings did, but not the mark in the clear coat .. ?? Suggestions .. ?? Thanks for ANY help ..
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08-16-2007, 01:48 AM | #210 |
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Hey George its Pete from g35driver.com, its good to see you on here too. lol i also am making the switch over to a 3 series coupe since my lease is up on the G. While im at it, what do you suggest as a good procedure for a waterless wash? I know Optimum no rinse is highly suggested, do i have to approach the wash differently considering the circumstances?
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08-16-2007, 02:11 PM | #211 | |||
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There are so many variables that go into detailing that you cannot assume a wash and dry will remove all of the contamination. Some of the variables are:
I maintain my vehicle about once a week, sometimes sooner w/ quick details. I would say I typically remove 98% of contamination during each wash. Usually the front bumper has some bug guts or some other debris that does not come off with a gentle mar free wash. I try to pre-treat those areas next time around with a paint safe degreaser, such as Poorboy's Bug Squash or P21s Total Auto Wash. If the contamination still isn't removed, I will clay bar the area or save it for a more complete detail depending on what it is. Let me know if that helps clear things up for you and if you have any other questions. Quote:
If you have a Porter Cable buffer (or equivalent), use a fine abrasive polish, and work your way up to a more aggressive polish until the desired results are achieved. Quote:
Congrats on the new BMW! George |
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08-18-2007, 06:37 PM | #212 |
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Hi George, I think I am experiencing some ghosting after waxing. I am not sure what it is..I don't have a picture of it. I normally do my waxing in the garage where lighting is minimal and its yellowish light..so I don't really notice the stain after a wax. What I see now when I bring the car out in the sunlight (after about 18hrs since waxing), I can see stains/ghosting which looks like wax oil stains..w/ the similar looking mark when I apply it with an applicator pad. I can continue buffing to remove these marks, but I do not want to introduce any scratches to my hood and trunk. The thing is I can only see this under direct sunlight...in the shade, my car looks shiny as hell. Are those stain normal? Wax has not dried? Please help... Got a shot of the trunk..there's like millions of moon shape on my hood and its pretty obvious when it reflects the sky (white bg).
Last edited by BMXtreme; 08-19-2007 at 04:10 PM.. |
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08-19-2007, 04:19 PM | #213 |
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BMXtreme,
It sounds like not all of the product was removed after waxing. I'd use a plush microfiber towel and a quick detailer and go over it again to make sure everything is completely removed. This happened to my vehicle the first time I waxed it. I'd recommend doing this after a thorough wash to minimize adding any imperfections to the paint. I used Poorboy's Spray & Wipe as my QD and it worked great. Let us know how you make out. George |
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08-19-2007, 04:23 PM | #214 | |
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08-19-2007, 04:43 PM | #215 |
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I was going to ask what your process was. It could be the result of your wax trying to cure and you are preventing that from happening with the coat on top, but it sounds like excess product still on your paint. Try applying even thinner coats next time around.
George |
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08-19-2007, 06:03 PM | #216 | |
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08-20-2007, 12:52 PM | #217 | |
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I spent all weekend on my car, right now my FMJ is curring. I'lll start my second coat late this afternoom. I'll be giving a full analysis when I'm done, including pics. One question George....is there a secret trick to using PB Natty Blue paste wax with my orb? Obviously paste wax is applied by hand (that's why it's paste wax), but I would love to spread it with my orb. At least on the larger, flatter areas. Anything? Thanks!
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08-20-2007, 10:39 PM | #219 | ||
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As far as the paste wax is concerned, I don't have any tips to spread w/ the PC since I've never applied a wax in this manner. I know some detailers have tried to melt down the wax, or carved it out of the case w/ a knife and spread it on a PC pad. I personally think too much product is wasted when you try to apply a paste wax with a PC. Ideally you want to apply 2 ultra thin coats, the PC just doesn't allow you to do so. Looking forward to hearing about your experience. Quote:
Keep a firm bristle brush handy to loosen up any stubborn debris that may have stuck to the syrup of the soda left behind. George |
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08-21-2007, 09:16 PM | #220 |
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Hey George thanks for the speedy delivery on my order. (Sheepskin mit, Waffle weave Towel, Poorboys EXP & Spray & wipe, and a MF, tire dressor) this will be my first time using Poorboy products, hopefully all should go well, ive heard nothing but good about the two.
Can i use the spray & wipe for bird droppings? or should i continue to use my Bug & tar remover? |
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